The Gamma

Note to self: do NOT volunteer for training after a 12 hour shift.

"Hurry up pup! The 8 year olds could run the course faster than you!" Gamma Asher yells. I haven't trained for over three years give me a break!

"Yes sir!" I yell as I put all my energy into the gauntlet they call an obstacle course.

Gamma Asher's POV

"You know he beat your record on that last run right Ash?" Malak says as we watch my little girl's mate run.

"He has the build of a runner. He is lean and quick. Not sure how strong he is tho." I say not wanting to credit the boy but honestly he is impressive. My record stood for 5 years before him.

"Ease up on the boy he's good and you know it. Maybe get to know him instead of running him into the ground? Think about it pup." He nudges me and walks away. He will never see me as a grown man.

"Alright boy come on!" I yell at him.

"Yes sir. What's next?" He asks panting. Is he serious? This boy wants to train more?

"Next you go to bed." I tell him I know he has been up all night.

"Really? Thats all?" He asks amazed.

"Yea... what you want me to throw you in with the warriors for fight training too?" I ask.

"Well I expected it... I'm used to training where you don't stop untill you can't move." He shrugs.

"You've been up all night pup. Get some rest and be at my house for dinner. I'll toss you in with the warriors tomorrow."

Faolan POV

That surprised me. The Beta was a creep but he did train me well. I've never known training to end when you are still able to move. 48 hour sessions were normal. I'm not sure I could sleep now if I tried. My mind won't let me.

"If you'd allow it sir I'd like to continue... I'm not used to going easy in training. I'm too alert to sleep right now." I tell him. Its nice to be with wolves again. I don't want to go back to my room especially when I know I won't sleep.

"Alright boy. Show us what you got. As soon as you lose a fight you are going bed tho." He concedes and I nod.

Gamma Asher POV

He wants a fight I'll give it to him.

"Randy on me!" I yell. The kid still looks sixteen but he is in his thirties. One advantage to the royal pack is the immortality. Only a few other packs exist across the world after the last war, but ours is the strongest. Randy was one of the first men I trained and he was a teenager at the time. "Put my new son down for a nap." I whisper to him.

"What are the rules?" Faolan asks me.

"Don't kill him." I answer.

"All forms of combat accepted?" He clarifies and I nod. I see a slight smile on his lips. "Let's go."

He takes his stance and Randy looks at me. I give him a nod letting him know not to hold back.

Faolan waits for Randy to make the first move sizing up his opponent. "Smart kid." I mumble to myself. I watch Randy charge at him and wait for impact. To my surprise Faolan doesn't miss a beat when Randy does a quick shift. The kid expertly dodges the attack landing an elbow between Randy's shoulder blades sending his snout into the dirt. Who trained this kid?

Faolan POV

I could see in his movement he was gonna shift. He was quicker than I'd expected but I still dodged landing a hit of my own. I knew the Beta was trained in the royal pack before the war so I know the fighting style. The guy Randy recovered rather quickly but I can tell i surprised him. He charges at me in wolf form but I know he is gonna shift again. 3... 2... 1! I duck the punch he throws at my head and land three quick jabs in his ribs before backing off. I'm not all that big so I can't stay too close for long.

Randy looks ticked! Short fuse. That helps me. If you let your anger get to you it leaves you open for attack. He won't shift this time. I think as he charges. He throws a punch at my face and I do a partial shift just my jaws. I alow my snout to appear as I dodge his fist and sink my teeth into his arm. I use his momentum against him and throw him on the ground shifting just as he hits the earth. Before he can recover my jaw is wrapped around his neck and I growl. I wait for his submission. When he doesn't I sink my teeth in a bit.

"Thats enough Faolan!" I hear a growl which I return.

"Submit or die." I growl through the link and I feel my opponent relax, submitting to me.

Gamma Asher POV

I heard his link everyone did. He broadcast that thought to the entire pack.

"Submit or die."

The calm in his voice was unnerving. This is not the frightened pup I met in Alic's office.

A growl echoes through the field and Faolan jumps off of Randy.

"What's going on here?!" Alic roars. All the warriors bow to the king. Faolan shifts and kneels before him.

"Training sir." Is his answer as he bows to his king. Alic looks to me and I shrug.

"Take Faolan to my office Ash." Alic tells me and I nod. The boy doesn't fight me. Its like as soon as the battle was done, as soon as Randy submitted the mild mannered boy returned. But who was he during the fight.

"Have a seat pup." I tell him as we enter the office. He nods and takes his seat.

"What happened out there?!" Alic yells when he joins us.

"Training... what's the big deal? He fought well. I won. He'll be good as new by tomorrow ready for another session." The boy shrugs like its normal.

"Randy's arm is shredded! You nearly ripped his throat out!" Alic growls.

"A dose of night root and he'll be fine! I don't really see the problem here. Tomorrow he will be more cautious of counter attacks and will grow stronger. Isn't that the point of training? To learn." At that both our jaws drop. Night root?! Alic sits at his desk and looks at the boy.

"I want a run down of the training practices of your old pack right now. Leave nothing out." He says.